The numbers are in and Activision and Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has had one of the most successful launches in franchise history. Through the game’s first three days, it broke records for most players across all platforms, most hours played and most average hours per player on this generation of console.
“Black Ops 4 is off to a blockbuster start. Our player counts and hours played are up year over year, our viewership on Twitch has set new standards and is showing just how fun Blackout is to play and to watch, and the weekend results yet again put Call of Duty at that highest tier of entertainment,” Rob Kostich, the EVP and GM of Call of Duty, told Business Wire on October 18.
Treyarch’s newest iteration of Black Ops made over $500 million in its first three days and saw the game’s PC population grow by double. This is mainly due to the fact that Blizzard, known for games like World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Hearthstone, helped Treyarch make the game more suitable for PC. Call of Duty’s PC community has suffered in past years, but this year they are looking to flip the script. Black Ops 4 is also the first Call of Duty to be on Blizzard’s Battle.net.
Black Ops 4 has had one of the most successful opening weekends in franchise history. Photo via @Treyarch
Another reason behind the game’s early success is because of Treyarch’s decision to scrap the campaign and include Blackout. Although some fans are displeased that the campaign is gone, many either played it once or never played that mode of the game in previous iterations. Treyarch could spend more money and time in other areas of the game due to cutting out the campaign. Treyarch’s decision to leap into the Battle Royale scene is not only a huge step for players, but also viewers. Black Ops 4 set an opening weekend record for most Twitch viewership by a CoD title.
More fans have seemingly come back because of Treyarch itself. The Black Ops sub-series has arguably some of the best titles in the franchise. Treyarch is also known for its closeness to the community and willingness to tweak its games. With the introduction of Blackout, all eyes will be on Treyarch to see if they will consistently update the game-mode, something that has been a staple for Battle Royale titles. As we reach the first week mark since the release, there have already been multiple patches and plans for more to come.
At the rate things are going, Blackout has the potential to launch the Call of Duty franchise to an all-time high. It is generating a lot of attention and players from other Battle Royales like Fortnite and PUBG. Come back for more details on the progression of Black Ops 4 and the patches they release.
Featured photo from Treyarch
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